Myton Hospice nurse on why he loves his job

Being part of an “amazing” team that is able to provide excellent care to those in need are among the reasons Andy Houghton, senior staff nurse at Myton Hospice’s Warwick site, loves his job.

The charity is currently recruiting for nurses, so Andy explained to the Courier what his role entails to give potential applicants an insight into what may be in store for them.

It was while studying his nursing degree at Coventry University that Andy first worked at Myton, on a placement. He said: “I was inspired by the nurses.

“What I particularly liked was the closeness of the relationships between all the team members - nurses, doctors, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, chaplaincy, cleaners - everyone working as one.”

Andy studied another course in palliative care and applied for a role as a senior nurse at the Coventry hospice - which he got, and subsequently moved to the Warwick site.

As well as being in charge of the nursing team and healthcare assistants, Andy deals with out-of-hours calls from GP practices, district nurses and hospitals.

And he develops close relationships with patients and their families.

He said: “When you are looking after someone who is dying, you can build quite close relationships. It can be a privilege to meet someone at that stage of their life and give them quality care. We provide that very well at Myton.

“We are professional nurses, but you do sometimes get emotionally attached and upset. We do remember people.”

Andy’s own uncle was cared for and died at Myton two years ago. He said: “When I realised he was coming to Myton, I felt relieved. The team here are amazing.

“What I love about my job is that it’s holistic care. We are a united team and we all know we have got the support, training and expertise to provide excellent care.”